Beverly Title, author, teacher, nonprofit founder, died Friday

Late last week, Longmont's Public Safety Chief Mike Butler and 8-year-old Everly Deaton lost their best friend, BB, better known to the rest of the community as Dr. Beverly Title.

The longtime Longmont resident was a teacher, nonprofit founder, youth advocate and peacemaker in the community for decades. But her roles as friend and grandmother were the greatest achievements of her life, Title's daughter Summer Deaton said.

"My daughter said she felt like she lost her best friend," Deaton said Monday. "And there's a long line of people who feel that way, too."

Title lost a two-year battle with myeloid leukemia Friday evening when she died in her home under hospice care. Title was 68.

As a teacher for the St. Vrain Valley School District, Title helped found three alternative schools, including Olde Columbine High School in Longmont. She also worked as a district coordinator on Kindergarten through 12th grade programs for safe and drug free schools, dropout prevention, homeless education, multicultural appreciation and alternative education.

After 21 years with the district, Title retired to focus on peace, Deaton said.

In 1994, Title co-founded the nonprofit Teaching Peace, which focused on bullying and school violence prevention. Two years later, it became one of Colorado's first restorative justice programs offering alternatives to traditional punishment by bringing offenders and victims together to find a resolution.

"Restorative justice is as big as it is in Colorado mainly because of Beverly Title," Butler said. "There's no doubt in my mind that she's been the biggest influence in our state."

The organization, renamed the Longmont Community Justice Partnership in 2010, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and remains focused on Title's five R's of restorative justice -- relationships, respect, responsibility, repair and reintegration.

"The founding and driving principles were the five R's," said executive director Candy Campbell. "That's at the core of everything we do and that's alive and well today."

Title developed strong relationships with local law enforcement through the program, including a close friendship with Butler.

"We immediately commenced a partnership with her and her nonprofit and she was very supportive of public safety in general, but she did it from the perspective of being preventative and proactive," Butler said. "She was transformative."

In 2011, Title released her book "Teaching Peace: A Restorative Justice Framework for Strengthening Relationships."

And in 2013, she founded ReSolutionaries, Inc., a program that brings restorative justice to schools. Deaton took over as CEO of ReSolutionary, Inc. after Title was diagnosed.

Following Title's death, Deaton expects to see a renewed interest in Longmont's restorative justice programs inspired by her mother's passion, including the expansion of ReSolutionaries, Inc., which currently has a pilot program at five Aurora schools.

"After all these years, I've already seen a rekindling of her passion and that has been really special over these last few days," Deaton said. "She always envisioned an army of peacemakers and in the last few days I could see the army. They were here."

Title left a legacy in Longmont and around the world where she trained and mentored staff and volunteers about restorative justice. But friends and family said she will be most remembered for the deep relationships she built with people throughout the Longmont community.

"Her real power and influence was through personal relationships," Butler said. "She was one of my best friends and there are any other people who thought she was their best friend."

The family held a vigil at Title's Longmont home that ended Monday afternoon. Friends came to pay their respects to the family and to say goodbye to the woman who made an impact on their community and their hearts.

"She used to say, 'you can't change the world, but you can kick butt in your corner of it,'" Deaton said. "And she really kicked butt in this corner of it."

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story